Ashton & Co.

Christmas and New Years...

2012-01-22T16:06:00.004-07:00

On the 23rd of December Piper got super sick and didn't get better until around noon on Christmas day. She laid on the couch wile everyone played with what Santa brought and opened presents. I t was so sad. By church time though she had perked up and we were glad to have our normal happy and excited Piper back.

Santa wraps up the room where he leaves all of his stuff and the kids loved breaking through all the wrapping to see the surprises behind it!

Heading off to church after all the chaos and excitement. I love when Christmas falls on Sundays!!

The day after Christmas we headed up to Island Park to my parents cabin. We had a great time playing in the snow (since we STILL don't have any here in the valley). We brought up our snowmachines so we took the kids to Big Springs and they sledded everyday behind it. The Robinson's came up half way through the week, so we had some cousins to play with and the kids had a great time!

Trying to find the fish that USED TO be there...:(

Sledding on the lake that is frozen solid.

All the kids built a couple of snowmen the day we left. The snow was perfect.

On New Year's eve we had a party here at our house. It's our good friend Brett's b-day, so we party every year with them and the kids play until midnight, too. It's a crazy, long night, but such fun with good company!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Our Holiday in Maui...

2011-12-04T21:43:00.009-07:00

We spent our Thanksgiving in Maui this year. It was incredible. Beware of all the pics. I took over 500...so this is just a sneak peek.

We snapped some family pics one night...here are some:

We met Joel's brother Tony and his family there. We had so much fun with them!

The morning after our arrival. We got Leis when we checked in

We stayed at the same hotel as Adam Sandler... he was there with his 2 daughters (sadie and Sunny) and his wife, his friend Allen Cureton who is in most of his movies, ("Andrew" in Anger Management, limo driver in Wedding singer, homeless guy in Jack and Jill) and Kevin James and his wife. It was pretty cool to see all of them just hanging out like normal people. We didn't ever talk to him, but we rubbed shoulders in the pool, on the walkways, and Sadie actually was right behind him in the slide line at one point. We swam in the pools right next to him. That was the highlight of Sadie's trip. She just saw Jack and Jill before we left. I had to sneak pics of him cuz we didn't want to bug him, everybody for the most part left them all alone. He seemed pretty nice and even made a joke going down the slide once. The hotel we stayed at had 7 different pools all connected with slides, a rope swing, one of a kind water elevator, and a shallow beach pool for the kids. It was ideal for the kids. Tons of stuff to do and tons of fun!

Sadie, tess, and Kylie tried to scuba in the pool. They stayed under for a good 40 minutes. We were amazed that they did it!

The rope swing the kids couldn't get enough of.

No surprisingly, Tess was doing gymnastics all over the beach, too.

Piper loved standing on the board and riding it on the coast line. She did this for a long time.

Keaton found his own way to ride the waves in a tube!

Tess tried boogie boarding, but didn't fall in love with it.

Thanksgiving dinner at Kimo's! We ate fish and shrimp for dinner! No turkey there! :)

Piper jumping off the platform instead of using the rope.

Piper drew lots of fun pics in the sand.

Going down the waterslides together. This was the one at the end where your head would go under, so everytime we went down Joel had to hold Keaton up high so he WOULDN'T go under. Otherwise we knew he would not try it anymore. :)

Sadie boogie boarding. Love this action shot. Kinda missed this wave :) But she hit more than she missed.

We spent a lot of time on the beach doing this. Keaton loved digging/ throwing the sand and the girls loved building castles.

Keaton flew a kite...he wanted to do this the whole time we were there. It was windy enough one day, so he enjoyed flying his crocodile kite for about an hour. He was loving it.

Pieces of coral Sadie collected herself from the ocean.

While waiting for our flight the last day we took the kids the aquarium. Way cool.

On the North Shore watching the surfers.

The girls chose their own oysters and each got different pearls. Tess got 2 black ones and made earrings, Sadie got 2 white ones and had earrings made, Piper got 1 beautiful bluish one and had a pendant made. we did this on the last day...they looked forward to it all week.

Hooray for Maui. We love you!

SO many things to be grateful for:

My heart was so full over Thanksgiving. I couldn't have asked for a better "break" from our normal lives. Joel and I both had so much fun with our kids. Our kids were so happy, they played so hard they wore themselves out. I love that they played TOGETHER and the fights only happened when we got into the car (which was not that often). We couldn't feel more blessed this Thanksgiving holiday. We recognize our blessings and we know where they come from. I am SO thankful for a loving husband who works hard so we can play hard, who loves our children as much as I do, who loves me and I know it. I am so grateful that I have been given the gift of motherhood...I truly feel priviledged to be the mother of my 4 beautiful children. I feel so grateful that we were able to make some wonderful memories spending time together as a family in truly one of God's masterpieces here on earth.

Tess gets baptized!!!

2011-11-05T14:04:00.004-06:00

Tess and one of her best friends Pyper Sponenburgh got baptized together! Our ward was in charge of the program so our families (just the kids) got to do the musical number and Sadie played the piano while they sang "when I am Baptized". It was really nice...the day turned out wonderful. Our great friends the McBrides, her school teacher Mrs. Foutz, both sets of grandparents, Aunt Brigit, Uncle Jake and her cousins Abbie, Rylie, and Josh all came and we really appreciate them travelling so far to get here. It was a very special day for her!

Pyper and Tess after the confirmation!

Her cousin Abbie whom she loves to pieces!

Her best friend Brinlee who she has known since the day she was born.

The Sponenburgh's and the Ashton's!

Tess chose to be baptized on November 5th, 2011. We woke up this morning to a fresh coat of snow and it was beautiful. Perfectly fitting for a baptism day where you are dressed in white!!! we are so grateful to the friends and family who attended and supported her this special day. She was so excited and hopefully will always remember this day.

Halloween!

2011-11-05T13:56:00.004-06:00

Sadie was suppose to be a rockin' witch, but it was FREEZING cold outside, so she decided to dress warm and just wear her hat and false eyelashes instead!

Tess the rock star Diva

Piper the Zebra

Keaton the dragon

Seeing our sweet Granny at the "home". ;)

This year for Halloween we went to my mom's for pizza and helped her give candy to trick or treaters (since we don't get that privilege where we live!) and then trick or treated for a couple hours, and then saw Great-Granny for her annual zip loc bag full of candy. Sadie decided to ditch us this year for some friends...I must say it made me a little sad. :( All in all, a fun Halloween, And very low maintenance costumes for me which I liked!!!!

PUmpkin Carving!

2011-10-26T08:39:00.002-06:00

Tess turns 8!!!!

2011-10-08T18:00:00.002-06:00

Tess turned 8 on Monday, October 3rd! Not a great time of year for her dad because we are usually in Spud Harvest, so we always celebrate on Conference Sunday when her dad can be home. We had a family party on Sunday and then a friend party on Monday.

Thankfully, all Tess wanted for her cake this year was a giant yellow and pink 8. She made my day a whole lot easier!

Her new gymnastics mat that she loves! :)

Her cousin Abbie!

Her party this year was a carnival theme because we found a lady who does awesome face painting. Each girl got to choose what they wanted on their faces... they all turned out so cute.

Happy Birthday Tessy!!

Here are 8 great things about Tess:

1- she is a great gymnast and truly loves the sport

2- She loves math

3-She will try anything...until it comes to a roller coaster

4- She gets car sick

5- Her hair actually hits the middle of her back, but it is so curly that it bobs above her shoulders still

6- She loves to make up dances and is always still skipping, jumping, or handstanding wherever she is.

7- she feels more secure with Sadie by her side...she doesn't like to be the only "ashton" there.

8- She loves to swim, ride bikes, and her latest passion is doing her own hair.

We LOVE YOU TESS!!!

As a side note, it snowed here yesterday, school has been out all week for harvest and we are only 1/4 done because of the wetness. Joel hasn't been able to dig since Tuesday. Let's think sunshine and no more rain for a while!!! :)

Lots of catching up to do...

2011-10-08T17:33:00.003-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend me and the kids went up to Island Park with my parents (while Joel was harvesting grain) and we went to Yellowstone Park and Big Springs and Mesa Falls. All beautiful, local spots we love to hit at least once a year!

Big Springs: Where the Snake River begins

Mesa Falls

And as a side note: This is Keaton and his best friend Aidan playing Spiderman and Buzz. They will dress up in these and play for hours. Luckily he seems to be outgrowing his tutu phase...

Swimming, harvest, ladybugs...and Keaton's in preschool!

2011-09-01T22:22:00.005-06:00

Our handsome little guy on his first day of preschool. He was wearing his new favorite shirt (crazy it's of an airplane! :)) He went right to his class and didn't even look back. He had lots of fun and mommy had a good 2 hour break...:)

And they still ended up catching about 20 more!

The lady bug catchers:

Rexburg has a new swimming pool and I realized that I hadn't taken one picture there this year yet and we probably went there on average once a week. The girls took swimming lessons here this summer and loved them. It's been so nice to have a fun place to go!

These 2 love the rock climbing wall; Sadie makes it to the top everytime!

Throughout grain harvest this year Keaton has gone to work with Joel quite a bit. It is so nice to have him so close!

Keaton will laugh at this picture one day to see his dad carrying him off the harvester. Love it.

First day of school and the end of fair!

2011-08-24T16:05:00.003-06:00

Sadie is in 5th grade (middle school!) this year and Tess is in 2nd grade!

They were both so excited to wake up and go! Sadie was a little reluctant, because it's a new school. but Tess was super giddy and couldn't quit smiling. They had a great first day!

Piper is in Kindergarten and was also a little nervous. But when she got home she told me she DEFINITELY wants to go back! She was such a big girl. It felt so weird to have all my girls gone today!

I loved that Keaton did this when Tess and Piper got home. He opened his arms wide and they both gave him a huge hug. way too cute!

End of the fair!:

Usually we are not huge fair goers but since Sadie was a participant :) We spent quite a bit of time there. THe kids rode horses, got glitter tattoes, got their faces painted and watched a rodeo. Sadie sold her pig and did great. Very successful year at the fair!! :)

Sadie's day at the fair!!

2011-08-18T22:40:00.002-06:00

Sadie showed her pig today at the fair and for being a first timer she did AWESOME! She won second in her weight division and was in the top 10 overall (out of about 50 pigs). By the end she was really controlling her pig and looking like she knew what she was doing :). We have learned a lot this year and look forward to both sadie and tess doing it next year. Now we will see how much he will sell for on Saturday! HE started at 64 lbs. and is now 265 lbs. PERFECT!

Summers Family get together!

2011-08-18T22:32:00.003-06:00

The kids making crafts!

Me and my 3 siblings: Jake, Shawn and Brigit

Me and my four lovies.

Gma and Gpa with all 10 grandkids!

My brother Shawn and his family were here from New York for a few days so we had a day of family togetherness at my house. Our family hasn't been able to be all together for a long time, so it was so fun to make some memories for a day. We BBQ'ed, slip-n-slided on the giant tarp, visited, made bracelets and colored beach balls, limboed and ended the night with Fishing at the Summers pond. It was a great day with great company. Love you all!!

Priest Lake 2011

2011-08-18T22:15:00.003-06:00

We had a great time playing with cousins, tubing, boating, jetskiing, swimming, visiting, roasting hot dogs on the beach, watching movies outside, going on walks, playing in the sand, going for ice cream, and just hanging out.

While we were driving up, we received word that Joel's 92 year old Grandpa had just passed away. Of old age. It was quick and he was happy. We will miss him. We were able to attend his funeral before we came home. It was nice to be there. He was a great man, a true missionary and a great example to all.

A last minute day trip to Cherry Hill...

2011-08-18T21:55:00.002-06:00

ON Tuesday we decided to drive 6 hours (3 there, 3 back) to Cherry Hill waterpark in Kaysville, Utah. It was SO much fun. I didn't get many pictures, but I wanted to journal the few I did. The park is pirate themed and was so cute and fun for little kids. My girls LOVEd the waterslides and Keaton loved the ship and lazy river. Super fun family day before school starts!

As a side note, Keaton had to go under anesthesia last Friday to get a bunch of cavities filled and 3 crowns put on. I swear I brush his teeth...We now call his silver teeth his "pirate teeth" which he thought was SUPER cool being at a pirate themed water park!

Sadie's surprise party and pig!

2011-08-18T21:34:00.002-06:00

We surprised Sadie with a party when we got home from Washington. We met at Craigo's then went to play Laser tag and mini golf, then back to our house for a movie. It was a great time and Sadie was genuinely surprised!

Sadie is walking her pig to get ready for fair. It has been a bit of an adventure having pigs, but super fun memories have been made!

Our Sadie is 10!!!

2011-08-10T23:58:00.002-06:00

Sadie turned 10 on August 1st! We had a birthday celebration at Priest Lake on her birthday, and then we threw her a surprise party when we got home. She was TRULY surprised, so it was so much fun. (pics of that will come soon!) Here are 10 things we love about Sadie:

10- She loves BLING!

9- She loves to play house and play babies

8- She cannot wait to babysit! She helps me out now for little errands and begs me to stay out longer!

7- She will try ANYTHING. NO water slides are big enough for her.

6- She loves to do her own hair

5- She is a Daddy's girl

4- She loves to dance and play piano

3- She loves to talk and has a lot of friends

2- She loves animals (especially big stinky pigs! haha)

1- She is the bet daughter and sister. We are so blessed to have her in our family and we all love her SO much! Thanks for all you do Sadie! Keep being exactly who you are! We think you are great!!! Love you!

Our favorite fishing hole.

2011-07-22T11:21:00.002-06:00

The Great PIG chase among other things...

2011-06-28T22:16:00.006-06:00

Every year we get a giant tarp and put on our hill and use it as our massive slip-n-slide. It is So much fun and creates some great photographic moments. Here are only a few...

Keaton didn't know about it at first so I had to take him down. Eventually he got brave enough to go by himself. Man it was fun being a kid again for an afternoon!

So, we heard you needed to "walk" your pigs once in while. Gotta love having pigs roam free in your yard. They decided they didn't want to go back in their pen, but one got really winded and wanted to go back but got itself cornered in the fence and we couldn't get it out. Joel ended up having to break a bottom piece of the fence to get it back to the pen. Pigs are WAY too stubborn for me.

Tess handles the pigs pretty well. It is so much fun to watch your little girls chase pigs around your yard and yelling "Bacon, come here!" at them.

Sadie is loving this pig thing. The shovel is to hit them on their side to try and lead them. Sadie would only slightly tap them, where she really needs to actually HIT them. We have a lot yet to learn with these wild beasts! :) (apparently teaching them to walk by you helps them to know your voice and gets them in better shape for fair. Because NOBODY wants to buy an out-of-shape pig!) :) What an experience so far!

This is our new playhouse that we had built throughout the month of May. It is really fun for the kids...we love it!!!!

Love these loving moments! They are not happening all that often these days! :)

Tess played softball this summer and did a great job. A lot of games were cancelled due to weather, but the few she was able to play in she did good for a first timer. :)

This picture does not do the rainbow justice, but it really was super beautiful. We could see the beginning to the end and it was so vibrant!

TIMBER!

2011-06-17T22:28:00.003-06:00

The 3 big pine trees that have marked our house for over 35 years.

Look at how big they are compared to a man...

Love that we live in a place that we can drag a tree behind a tractor down the road! Ya just don't see that everyday!

There were LOTS of baby birds and nests that fell from the trees and were scattered across the yard. Wasn't too prepared for explaining that to the kiddos...

And down goes the 35+ year old trees that my Dad planted when Brigit was just a baby...I had mentioned it to Joel last week that they were getting too big, cutting our view, too expensive to trim, etc. so yesterday he decided to get in the tractor and take care of that little situation for me. I had to laugh because he was all smiles while pulling on those HUGE trees with his big tractor. He is like a little boy playing with his real life tonka trucks :) Our yard looks so open and big now. I love it!

Piano, Gymnastics and A Flying Cowboy on a Bike

2011-06-16T15:37:00.005-06:00

Tess and Piper had their gymnastics recital on June 4th. They are both such good tumblers. Tess can do a standing back handspring and just needs a bit more confidence for her round-off back handspring. It is so fun to see her love for the sport! :)

Keaton LOVES riding his bike...I mean LOVES. He has to add that bit o'flavor with a pair of wings to go with his manly cowboy hat.

Sadie had her end of the year piano recital and did great. This is her teacher with two of her good friends (MyKilee and Issy). It is so fun to see our kids talents growing!

A play, A dunk, and A concert

2011-05-30T08:54:00.004-06:00

Last Tuesday Joel and I went to Utah to the U2 concert. It was The most amazing concert EVER!!!! There were over 50,000 people there. They put on such a great show!

Sadie got dunked at Field Day...she was so excited! :)

Tess and her 1st grade teacher. They put on a great play called "Stone Soup". She did such a great job!

Wow. Could Tess be more disappointed?

2011-04-30T21:01:00.003-06:00

Easter Sunday 2011

She did cheer up right after we took this...

This year we were truly blessed with a beautiful Easter weekend. The only one so far this spring! We got to have outdoor easter egg hunts (which has not happened for years) and we finally got 2 whole days of playing outside without jackets on. It was a wonderful weekend.

Dance recital 2011

2011-04-28T15:55:00.003-06:00

This year's dance recital was on Saturday, April 23rd and was great. It was all done in 45 minutes and everything went smooth. I was so proud of all my dancers and my own daughters especially!!! It was a great thing to have over, but I am already starting to prepare for next year...

Joel brought them home flowers before we left for the recital...they were SO excited.

FREE ZUMBA NIGHT!!!

2011-04-26T11:45:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow, April 27th I will be holding a free Zumba night at my gym at 7:30. I am SO excited. The routines are so much fun (and unique) and you will leave feeling the burn!!! Cme if you want and bring a friend!!!

My schedule for the summer:

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS 8:45-9:45 PM

$3 /lesson and/or $25 for 10.

It will be great and is such a fun way to work out and TONE!! I will be focusing a lot on upper thighs, arms, and abs. Come give it a try!!!!! Hope to see you there!!!!

P.S. also excellent for pregnant women. :)

Ever tried piggin'?

2011-04-17T21:55:00.002-06:00

Sadie is officially old enough to do 4-H so we decided to raise one pig to sell at fair and one pig to...eventually eat :) So far so good, although they are a little skiddish around us and we have a lot to learn about how to be swine farmers!

Summers family pics!

2011-04-16T16:17:00.002-06:00

Some of our Family Pictures we took back in October:

2011-04-13T08:03:00.008-06:00

So I just got the copies of these because the disks she gave me did not work, hence the reason they took so long to post. I love them though...even though my hair is completely different now!

You are cute...

2011-03-28T17:18:00.003-06:00

Keaton just turned to me and said, "Mommy, you are too cute. I love you too." ... we were watching Dora in silence when he just randomly blurted that out. I wonder who tells him he's too cute all the time? :)

Birthday week!

2011-03-25T17:50:00.004-06:00

Our two babies had birthdays this last week!

Keaton's is on March 11th and Piper's is on March 18th

KEATON IS 3!

I had to post this picture because it is what Keaton is always in lately (embarassing or not, it is pretty cute) although Joel is not sure if he likes it. We try not to actually ENCOURAGE the girls dress-ups...it just happens with 3 older sisters.

3 things we LOVE about Keaton:

1-His ability to make us all laugh. He says and does the cutest/funniest things.

2- The way he laughs at movies already. He totally gets the crazy humor in some of them.

3- The love he still has for his blanket and his mommy :)

WE celebrated his b-day the day after we got home from Hawaii, so this was a very fast, thrown together cake. All he wanted was a vroom vroom cake.

And our sweet little Pippey turned 5!!!

5 things we LOVE about Piper:

1-She is always playing baby doll

2- She wakes up with a smile and goes to bed with a smile

3- She loves to "mother" everybody and anybody (especially her little brother)

4- she is a very coordinated little girl. She loves gymnastics and dance.

5- She's got her daddy wrapped around her finger. Her favorite thing to do is ride in the tractor.

Let's Party!!!!

Her best friend/cousin Kacie. They actually look a lot alike we think :)

THis is my super special gum ball cake. I free-handed the design and after it was all done, I can now see how crooked it was. She didn't care, all she wanted was the skittles that looked like gumballs.

We love you Piper and Keaton!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but I am a Tsunami survivor!!!

2011-03-15T21:21:00.008-06:00

Our tsunami story:

We were eating dinner when the waiter told us they were closing the restraunt (very nonchalantly I might add) because an 8.9 earthquake just struck Japan and there was a tsunami heading our way. We kind of thought he was joking at first, but then Joel called the hotel and they said that we needed to come and get our stuff immediately and head for higher ground. I will admit I was shaking pretty bad at this point, but Joel and my Dad were calm (as usual) and we first waited in a gas line for about 40 minutes and then went back to the hotel to get our things and all the food we had. We ended up spending the night in our car at a community college about 400 ft. above sea level. It was a bad nights sleep (obviously) and the waves were expected to hit around 3 a.m. so we turned on the radio and listened and although Hanalei was hit first of all the Islands it was only hit by a 2.8 ft. wave. Maui and the Big island were hit alot worse. We felt lucky and were able to go back to our hotel at 8 a.m. and we took a big old nap. Lots of family and friends were texting and calling us by 4 a.m. because that's when the mainlanders were waking up...it was so nice to be remembered. SO I can officially say we are tsunami survivors (even if it was only a 3 foot wave)...and I am totally buying shirts that say so:) My heart goes out to those in Japan. Joel was watching what was happening there on his phone that night but later told me he didn't want me to see the images because he knew it would scare me. We were very fortunate, and I am sick to see what happened to all those poor people. We are hoping for them.

SO here are some pics of the actual trip. I wanted to bring the Island back with me...

I actually took this picture from a table at a cafe we stopped in and ate at for lunch a few times. I thought it looked like a postcard.

Joel and I on Hanalei Beach. Love this guy.

We flew over with my wonderful parents and my little bro. Jake. My parents stayed an extra week and Jake flew home with us. We had a ton of fun with them...they are always great company! P.S. this is the beach where the surfer girl (Bethany) got her arm bitten off by shark. They are making a movie about her. It happened about 3/4 mile out from where they are standing.

The famous "Tree Tunnel" we passed through it everyday and everytime we went through it I loved it more and more.

The first day we were there it rained so we drove to the other side of the island and took nature shots as we went.

Boogie Boarding was so much fun, although I ended up with a nasty sunburned nose and fever blisters all over my bottom lip...where was the 70 SPF?

Wailua Waterfall

The Fern Grotto

The animals of Kauai! :

Roosters and chickens are ALL over. Stems from the days of cock fighting before the hurricane of '92. After that nobody bothered caging them up again so now they reproduce like mad and run crazy all over the streets/beaches/ jungle. EVERYWHERE.

It's really common for monk seals to worm their way up on shoe for an afternoon bask in the sun. This was in the middle of a very public beach. This turtle was eating off the rocks on the same beach (the same day) about 3 feet from the beach. We could see whales, too, but they were all too far in the distance to snap a good photo.

Ziplining the rainforest. We also repelled over a waterfall and water tubed down some old irrigation canals that were hand dug for the sugar cane plantations. I didn't get any pics of that but it was really fun and really pretty.

That's me standing on top of that lava "bridge" over the ocean. This was just in front of our hotel!

I think I definitely have a new favorite place to visit. Minus the tsunamis and hurricanes ofcourse!

Now back to my reality:

Sadie dressed as an 80's rocker for "Decades" day...she did it all by herself. She looks like I did about 20 years ago...

Tess had to dress up for school one day as Fancy Nancy...she definitely fits the part with her curly hair and attitude!

We had family pics taken while my brother's family was here visiting from New York. This was taken quickly with my camera. These are all the grandkids on the Summers side. While my sis-in-law Megan was here (the whole month of Feb.) her older brother was killed in a car accident. My heart still breaks for her and her family- we love you Meg!

Every winter we try to take on a remodeling project since we live in an older home, this winter it was redoing the downstairs fireplace. I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Before:

After:

My 3 beautiful dancers. We have had a few performances since the end of January and it is so fun to see my hard work paying off :) I teach 65 girls this year and man has it been busy, but I love it, so it is still more fun than anything.

Piper dances to "Gift of a Friend" and steals the show with her absolute knowledge of every move in her dance. She doesn't miss a beat, although she doesn't enjoy smiling as much as I would like.

Tess dances to "When I Look At You" and is so much fun to watch dance. Every move is completely full out, using every bit of muscle she has. She smiles and seems as if she is having a good time.

Sadie dances to "Dynamite"and is always commented on what a darling little dancer she is. She has such a great smile and loves to dance and it shows.

We have had a crazy last couple of months and I am trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, I need to get better because this is what I use as my journal/scrapbook. Where does the time go?

Cruisin' with the Kids...!

2011-01-27T08:45:00.010-07:00

Last week we took the kids on our first family vacation! We cruised the Caribbean and had a great time! Here are some highlights from the trip. (I had to choose from over 350 pictures...)

Leaving Port Canaveral, Florida on Sunday, Jan. 16th!

Cococay Bahamas!

The hair braiding was a must and it lasted until we got home. Made doing their hair really easy, but sunscreening was NOT my favorite!

Ice skating on deck 3...crazy to think we were ice skating on the ocean!

The H20 zOne- the kids pool on the ship. Way fun!

All the ice cream we could possibly eat! (I think the kids averaged 3-4 cones each a day)

Mini golf on the ship!

My 2 handsome guys...this is where Keaton sat most of the time!

The beautiful island of St. Thomas!

St. Maarten!

Ever tried playing ping pong on a windy, rocky ship? Not so easy...

Sea World on Sunday!

We got off the ship on Sunday morning and spent the day with Joel's sister Stacy and her cute family at Sea World. It was a great way to top off our vacation!

Feeding the dolphins!

Keaton thought riding the "big fish" was too cool. He was definitely in a happy place...

We flew home on Monday and the laundry began! :)

Sledding at Priest Lake

2011-01-02T22:05:00.003-07:00

We spent only 3 days this year (with 2 days of driving) at Priest Lake in Northern Idaho. We had a great time...lots of sledding and playing in the snow.

Keaton figured out it was way more fun sliding on his belly than it was waiting for a turn on a sled. He was hilarious.

Thanks for a fun time at the cabin everyone! :)

Our December...

2010-12-25T16:00:00.003-07:00

This December was a bit crazy for us this year...I am sure it feels that way for everybody :) But one thing that was different for our family this year was the passing of our dear Aunt Judy on December 1st. This is a picture (that didn't turn out so well) from Christmas Eve last year. She was like a second grandmother to us. We love and will miss her dearly.

This year also marked the year my little brother turned the age I was when he was born. I remember saying, "wow, when this little baby turns 16, I will be turning 32". That seemed so old and so far away at the time. :) we share our birthday on the 13th of December and my other little brother is the 12th. My parents sure knew how to time them! :)

Besides doing a lot of sledding in the snow, this year we made cookies for Santa with our Robinson cousins. It was a lot of fun. Tess made the "ultimate cookie" for Santa this year (which I will add he DID take a bite out of)

Throwing out the Reindeer food...Sadie threw more in Tess and Piper's hair than she did in the snow (by accident of course!)

We had Christmas Eve dinner at my house this year and were blessed to share it with BOTH my Grandparents...my dad's mom a.k.a. Granny (who shared a home with Judy and is in the beginning stages of alzheimer's) and my mom's dad who we call by his first name, Grant. It was a special Christmas Eve, we were only missing Shawn and his family. :(

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! we will be traveling to Priest Lake for the week, so more pics to come when we get back ;) I had to take a minute while the kids were having their minutes to "chill" and take a step back from the overstimulation of Christmas presents :)

Have a great vacation week and Happy New Year!!!

Our week in the concrete jungle!!!

2010-11-21T17:37:00.007-07:00

Last week Joel and I had the rare opportunity to visit his parents (serving an employment specialist mission) in the heart of NYC. It was an AMAZING trip. We had such a great time and saw a lot of neat things. We walked A LOT, but that really is the only way to experience the city (or so they say...) :) Sorry about the picture overload, it was just WAY TOO cool not to share...

Joel and his sweet mission serving parents! We love you guys!

My brother Shawn and his family live in Rosendale NY while he does residency, so they came down on Saturday for a visit to old lady Liberty with us!

We ferried out to the Statue of Liberty. So cool.

The humbling experience of Ground Zero. It will be really neat looking in about 2 years.

Bob and Ann go to church at the temple, pretty neat.

This fire boat was putting on a bit of a show for some reason. We just thought it looked so neat.

Posing with a "fairy" in Central Park!?

The tree getting ready for Christmas at Rockefeller Center.

Funny Story, while we were at Rockefeller Center some "official" looking lady asks us if we want to be on a taping of a "Today Show" segment with Kathie Lee and Hoda. So look for us on the day after THANKSGIVING. We will be on the 3rd hour of the show dancing in the front. No need to explain, you won't be able to miss us!

You just gotta kiss in front of the LOVE sign!

David Letterman's friend Rupert from the Hello Deli! Joel had a conversation with him about Idaho potatoes (he tried to plug it in to everyone, every chance he got!!)

Why yes, that is Hermine from Harry Potter exiting a building. We just happened to be right there!

I begged Joel to buy me this $35,000.00 necklace from Tiffany's but he wouldn't. I guess this picture will just have to do! :)

I'm playing on the BIG piano at F.A.O. Schwarz...I was also the only adult.

Times Square!

We saw Carrie Underwood in concert in New Jersey! Definitely a highlight of the trip!

We also saw "Wicked" on Broadway. SOOO good!!

One view of the city from the top of the Empire State Building (86 stories!)

The Brooklyn Bridge!

Joel is so amazingly strong and is holding this block up...(he was SO pleased to pose for me!:))

Me and "the Bull" on Wall Street

We walked through Central Park a few times. It was still really pretty.

On wednesday night we went to a taping of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon". It was awesome!

On Thursday we drove up North to see Shawn's family again and Megan took us to the beautiful Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. The view was spectacular. The Hudson and the rolling hills behind us were SO pretty.

The amazing Vanderbilt mansion. Everything in there was the original.

Well, that basically sums up our trip to the Big Apple! (minus about another 100 pictures!) Thanks SO much to Bob and Ann for being the greatest hosts, Shawn and Meg for making such an effort to see us, My Sister Brigit for watching my 2 babies all week! My mom and Dad for watching the 2 older girls, and my friend Bridgett for helping with my kids (and supplying us with dinner!) for the lat 24 hours. We will forever be grateful to all of you...my babies were all VERY happy and taken such great care of! You made the trip so great for us!! THANK YOU!!!

Halloween!

2010-10-31T23:43:00.002-06:00

Keaton the Seattle Seahawks line backer! He kept saying the lines under his eyes were "pooky"!

He LOVED getting candy this year, although he was a little shy at the doors...

Our precious Piper decided on changing her costume 3 times on Saturday. She was suppose to be a butterfly fairy, then a dancer girl, then finally the Princess and the Frog. The stinker, although super cute :)

Tess the Vampire Princess. She loved that I put "so much" make-up on her this year. She ate candy the WHOLE night!

Sadie the dirty pirate girl. She didn't want to wear anything that looked to "little kiddish"...would she please stop growing up!?

What a tough, scary, cute, and piratey bunch! I Love them!

Carving pumpkins and no more Sparkles...

2010-10-25T15:14:00.002-06:00

It seems like just yesterday I was writing about Sparkles and her need to reproduce, well, last Monday she was taken away from us by a bus while crossing the road (I am assuming to get to the other side...) :), seriously we were all sad. I was more because I had 5 four week old kitties to keep alive and I will say, although it has NOT been my most favorite week, they are all surviving and yet, I think missing their mommy. We have been holding them alot, so they are loving the kids (we also clean them with wet wipes, feed them formula, and are trying to litter box train them...) They even helped carve pumpkins...

This year we did not grow our own pumpkins, so we met the Robinson's (who just moved to BLackfoot from Denver! Yee-haw!) at a Pumpkin patch in Idaho Falls. They even had a train for the kids to ride, but my battery died right after I took this picture...

We spent Sunday night carving the pumpkins and these are the final products!!

It's Tea Party and Straw Maze time!

2010-10-09T22:29:00.005-06:00

The Tea Party!

This year for Tess' b-day we decided to do a "Fancy Nancy" Tea party. It was so much fun. All the girls dressed "fancy" and hopefully had a great time (I know Tess did!)

Teaching her friends how to do the tea pot dance! :)

All the party goers in all their fanciness!

The happy birthday girl!

Canning Potatoes!

I had to include this picture of Aidan and Keaton dressed in their "pretties"! This one is for their dad's who are both working in Spud Harvest right now! (Oh, and they are eating grated cheese out of their tractor bed...)

While the boys were dressing up and the girls were ravaging the house :) Bridgett, our friend Rhonda, and I canned potatoes! I figured I have access to the BEST POTATOES in the world :), so why not can them and speed up the process of making dinner! We canned 63 quart jars and had 2 pressure cookers going all day. It was way fun...I have never done anything like this before. I feel so domesticated now.

The Straw Maze!

This time of year means Rexburg is abundant in Straw and/or corn mazes. We decided to take advantage of one today and it was TONS of fun. They even had a mini maze for the younger kids so you could see the tops of their heads. :)

Thanks for the fun week McB's!

Tess is 7 and I hiked!

2010-10-03T22:37:00.003-06:00

Tess turned 7 today!!!

It was so nice to celebrate it today on Conference Sunday because her dad was finally home for a WHOLE day! We had a BBQ with my parents between sessions and just chilled for the whole day! It was a fun day for her, although she had a few minor break downs because she could not grasp the concept of sharing...it's always tuff to be the one who gets new things and everyone else wanting them...She had a very successful day and loved everything she got!

Seven great things about Tess!:

1-She will always be known for her ultra curly hair!

2-She LOVES to read

3-She is a really good gymnast

4- She does not like going to bed

5- She still sleeps with her baby blanket that still looks new

6- She loves most foods and it's usually the healthy one she chooses (I love that about her!)

7-She never walks, she is always skipping, jumping, hopping, handstanding or cartwheeling wherever we go. Not even joking.

We love you Tessy! :)

Hike over Devil's Staircase through Alaska Basin!

On Saturday I went hiking with a friend and a few ladies from her ward.

Let's preface this with saying that the last time I did this was 17 years ago...I was 15 and I thought it was hard then and we even spent the night! Well, yesterday we hiked 17 miles in one day and I was pretty sure that by the end I was going to need a hip replacement. It was absolutely gorgeous, though, and so much fun to become one with nature for a day!

Alaska Basin:

A different view of the Grand Tetons:

My new friend Bullwinkle!

The pictures really don't do it justice! We are so lucky to live so close to such beautiful sights! I have decided I need to take advantage of them more often. A hard hike, but definitely worth it!

Tess the lunchroom bandit...

2010-09-28T22:04:00.003-06:00

Most of you who know Tess know she is a sweet, spunky, silly, energetic (sometime shy) and generally happy little girl. Sometimes she can be a stubborn, VERY determined, and "on her own schedule" type of gal. Well, today we weren't quite sure what she was. The first thing the girls said when they got home was that Tess had to go to the Principal's office. This is not something my kids take lightly. I think they think his office is like Ms. Trenchbull's on Matilda, because they have this image in their head that it is the worst place EVER. Tess' face today after school told me everything. She was nervous and scared. She didn't know what to say or how I was going to react. Before she could tell me the whole story (and Sadie adds to all the drama), I get a phone call from a good friend asking me how Tess was doing and telling me she witnessed the whole thing and how it all went down. I still hadn't heard half of it, so she proceeds to tell me how the principal and another teacher wanted TOTAL silence in the lunchroom today. (What. Are you serious?!?!) and apparently after much frustration, a teacher yelled for complete silence and she heard Tess giggle (oh my, not a 6 year old girl giggling, whatever do you do?) She thought the giggle was aimed at either her or the Principal, naturally, cuz that's what 6 year olds do, laugh in total silence at the authority figure in the room, especially in an uncomfortable setting with 100 kids staring at you...anyway, she apparently yelled at Tess saying "do you think this is funny?" "Why are you smiling?", etc. Tess kept saying "no", then the teacher told her to go to the office, the Principal apparently also got in her face (although his story is a bit different :)) she says he grabbed her arm (again, his story is different) and guided her to his office, where she broke down and was sobbing. Okay, as a parent I am hearing this from my friend, getting ticked. Joel comes home, I tell him what I was just told, he calls the school and we set up an appointment to meet with both the teacher and the principal at 5:00.

Immediately they are both defensive and say Tess was telling the teacher "no" that she wouldn't go to the office, and they were pretty sure she was laughing at them. I asked them how they knew what she was laughing at, (again, reminding them of her age and that she was talking with friends and that she finds anything funny) they obviously didn't know. I asked why she was the one singled out, they replied with that there were other kids sent to the office, but Tess took it the hardest and was the only one upset about it. She was only singled out at THAT moment. Ya know, the only moment that there was complete silence and she was the ONLY one that made A NOISE...(ya, right) We didn't get much accomplished at the office, I called my friend after the meeting and she said Tess was saying "no" in defense of what they were accusing her of. (like, "no, I don't think this is funny, and "no I didn't") totally trying to defend herself. I am still not happy about the situation... I feel bad Tess was chosen to be the example. I talked to another friend tonight that told me her daughter told her the Principal grabbed her arm to escort her out. I really think Tess was just having fun, talking, and was confused when she was singled out for giggling. She is only in 1st grade and I feel they over reacted to the situation. So, bottom line is:

Everyone watch out for Tess, she might giggle in the lunchroom.

Just goofin' around!

2010-09-24T16:43:00.004-06:00

This is how we spend a good part of our afternoon on windy days. What a mess, but I would still take paint over play-doh any day!

Last Friday was Homecoming and the girls "cut" their own shirts ( and tied them, super cute if you ask me- their idea) and had crazy hair day, although Sadie had a party after school, so she wanted to do it "not very crazy so I still look cute". When did she start to care?

Keaton's idea of helping me make biscuits. I turned around and this is what he did in like .02 seconds.

So I got this idea to turn mac-n-cheese into different colors by using food coloring and the kids LOVED it. I'll give you one guess what was also royal blue the next day...

I just found this picture on my camera. I thought it looked kinda funky :)

You cannot tell by the picture what is actually happening here, but it is now an official favorite pastime of my kids. Tess is pulling Keaton with some rope. He loves it- it could entertain him for hours.

Grain harvest is officially over now as of yesterday and now it is time to get ready for Spud harvest that will begin in a week from tomorrow. Although the harvest went well, Joel did have a bit of a fight with the combine, and the combine won :) He ended up having to get stitches on his ring finger and down his right thumb. Poor guy.

Sparkles the ho :)

2010-09-21T22:57:00.002-06:00

So we had a sneaky suspicion that Sparkles our cat was pregnant again, but didn't know when she would be due (and not even if she was FOR SURE)...well on Sunday she was acting weird and sure enough Sadie spotted a kitty lying there in her bed and she ended up having 4 more. She just had a litter 4 months ago...what is with this cat?! Apparently we need to make her unattractive to wild male cats. I think that will be happening soon (if ya know what I mean)...so if any of you would like a cat, please feel free to let me know, and do it before any of them take a ride under my car and I don't know it and I end up running over two of them...just saying. Not that that happened last time...

It's over!

2010-09-11T10:27:00.004-06:00

Our little guy made it through Thursday with flying colors. He did SO great. The doctor said his tonsils were some of the biggest he had seen in a little kid and that he had to take them first, then the adenoids (usually it's the other way around to help control bleeding). He slept a lot until about 2:00, then we brought him home and the crying and discomfort began. We had kind of a rough night on Thursday, but Friday morning he wanted to eat and drink and seemed to be so much better. He will grab his mouth once in awhile (or his ear...he had tubes put in, too) but once he has some motrin in him, he is great. We were worried about him NOT cooperating, but he proved us wrong. He drank when we told him to drink which he needed to do to come home. They pumped him full of fluids, which I was grateful for. I was so worried about him being dehydrated, but he has had no problems thus far and seems to be his old self again. He slept through the night last night and we didn't hear ONE snore! Yeah!!!!

This is him when we got him home. I didn't want to take any pics of him in the hospital. It broke my heart too much. He was SO swollen from all the fluids. Still too cute though:) We love you Keaton boy!

Preschool!

Piper's first day of preschool was last Tuesday and she LOVES it. Her teacher is SO wonderful and she is now asking me everyday if it is a preschool day.

She told me that she colors in the lines and the purple girl doesn't...(I'm assuming this means this little girl colored with a purple crayon....I dunno).

Cheer Clinic and Cuteness

2010-09-04T09:48:00.005-06:00

My two cute cheerleaders...Madison does a cheer clinic every year and then they perform at the first home football game. The girls love it and look forward to it every year.

Pyper, Maycee, Sadie and Tess with their attitude!

Tess, Sadie, Issy and Gabby

Roz, Maycee, Tess, Sadie and Pyper

Boredom...

Usually around 11:00 or so, boredom starts to set in with Piper and Keaton, so I decided to take pictures of some of the things they do while the older girls are at school....

Sometimes we turn our tub into a pool...

Sometimes we put panties on our heads and run around doing dances and other silly things and think we are hilarious!

Sometimes we decide to do boyish things and catch frogs...there is one in the jar, Keaton still won't touch them.

And we usually end up playing a computer game or two, that is until Keaton gets bored and decides to climb on the desk, throw things, hit the computer, just the usual...

Before cheer clinic the other day, the kids wanted to do a photo shoot in our tree.

And we found out this week that our poor little guy has to have his tonsils and adenoids out , and tubes put in his ears all on this coming Thursday. NOT fun. His tonsils are HUGE (causing eating and sleeping problems) and apparently he can't hear very well because he has SO much fluid behind his eardrum. Poor little fella...wish us luck on Thursday!!!

The Tauphus Park (park)!

2010-08-30T21:27:00.003-06:00

Before school started, we tried to have a fun day the entire week before. One of the days we went to the park at Tauphus park in Idaho Falls with the McBride's. The kids played on a SUPER cool playground and rode rides. Keaton rode in his first "vroom vroom" and was SO excited. He loved it!

This picture pretty much sums up any time the 4 of them have together... Keaton wanting something one of his sisters has, Tess just waiting to pounce the first chance she may get, and Piper just so used-to-it. I love it.

Keaton riding a beloved "vroom vroom"! He was a little nervous in this picture, but ended up smiling the entire ride.

All 7 of our crazy kids at the playground. Thanks for the fun day McB's!

First day of School 2010!

2010-08-27T12:11:00.003-06:00

The school year started on Wed. and I have never seen these two so excited. Tess got up and got ready so quickly that we had time to spare waiting for the bus. Sadie was SO excited to see all of her friends again everyday (all but one is in her class this year...) and Tess was excited to go to school ALL day (I am sure this attitude will change soon...) but for now, I am glad they both love school. Sadie is in 4th grade and Tess is in 1st grade. Piper starts preschool next week! :)

Lagoon and Sadie's party!

2010-08-21T18:46:00.005-06:00

This year since Sadie has been taking horse riding lessons, she decided she wanted a horse party. The invitation included a cowgirl hat that they each decorated and brought. The girls all got to brush the horses, saddle the horses and rode them for about an hour. We rode them two at a time, and each girl took a turn steering. It was SO much fun and I must say I was very impressed with Sadie's confidence level and knowledge of horses. That was the first time we got to see what she learned all summer and I was pleasantly surprised! After riding, we went to the park and had cake and opened presents. I hope it was a fun day for all the girls. Joel and I had a fun time watching them (and riding, too!

Our happy little cowgirl!

Lagoon!

This summer my girls each set a goal to read 100 books by August 15th. I told them if they did I would reward them with a trip to Lagoon. SO the day we decide to go, it DOWNPOURS in Utah...we had to run to Target and buy sweatshirts, them ponchos once we got there. Ofcourse as soon as we walk out of the store from purchasing the ponchos, the rain quit. We ALMOST didn't go in...we ALMOST went to Gateway instead, but we were so glad we stuck it out...the day turned out PERFECT. I think the rain deterred a lot of people, so the lines were all short and the weather turned out great, also we then had ponchos for all the wet rides. It was a great day and my girls said it was definitely worth having to read "so many" books!!!

This shows the excitement I was hardly able to contain right before stepping out of the car.

My friend Trista came with her two kids Mackay and Pyper (they are Sadie and Tess' ages) so it worked out great. Sadie and Mackay rode all the rides together...which Sadie rode all of them. Even the Colossas. I was so proud of her. She wasn't one bit afraid, a huge step up since Disneyland last year. Tess on the other hand still needs a couple more years to get her courage up, but the ones she did ride she loved!l

I didn't take my camera in when we rode rides, although I wish I could have freeze framed some of Tess' facial expressions. I hope to do this every year at the end of the summer...maybe next year it will be 150 books! :)

Our favorite fishin' hole!

2010-08-18T19:02:00.002-06:00

SO many pictures...so little time.

Sadie's 9th b-day, Priest lake, and 12 years!

2010-08-10T10:30:00.005-06:00

Sadie's birthday was August 1st! She turned 9. I Can't believe she is that old! She is such a special part of our family. Here are 9 things about Sadie:

1-She LOVES all animals

2- She still loves to play house and baby dolls

3- She loves to "babysit" her brother while I run to the store

4-She loves to make up dances and perform them for anyone willing to watch

5-She has a very low pain tolerance! :)

6- She loves to explore and find things in the fields

7- She really is the best big sister. She has a big heart and can't stand to see anyone cry.

8- She loves to listen to adult conversations (very slyly I might add) and has an extreme fear of severe weather.

9- She loves to "chill" and watch movies at night.

We love you Sadie and can't imagine life without you! Thanks for being YOU!!

Priest Lake 2010

Every year we go to Northern Idaho to the Ashton Family cabin for our annual family reunion. This year we missed Bob and Ann (on a mission in NYC), but we had a great time relaxing, playing in the water, and being with family. Thanks for a great time Ashton's!

Here are some of the highlights!:

The Sheriff came by and gave the kids a brief demonstration on water safety. They all thought it was so cool to get on the sheriff's boat!

Like father like son.

Sadie is the one standing on the tube. What a brave soul! :)

We got stuck behind a semi-truck accident for 3 hours only 20 minutes from the cabin on the way up there. Not a good way to end the already 9 hour car ride! :)

Joel and his 6 siblings!

Piper LOVES her cousin Marinda. She syas "Mawinda" is her BFF.

My 4 beautiful babies.

We celebrated our 12 year anniversary last friday while at the cabin.

I love you now more than ever Joel! Thanks for the last 12 years years!

Tents, Frogs, Splash parks, and Pollywogs!

2010-07-30T21:48:00.004-06:00

The sound of a zipper on a tent brings me back to my childhood. We never did go actually CAMPING, but sleeping in a tent in the backyard was always something to look forward too. My kids have been watching movies, and playing in it, but the weather has not cooperated lately at night (notice the storm clouds in the background) so the sleeping thing has not happened yet. Maybe soon...

Tess started playing soccer this month and she actually does really good. She chases after the ball and kicks it, but hasn't figured out the aiming thing yet.

After the game, we decided to go to the Splash Park because I refuse to go in the daytime since it is SO packed and infested with college kids. In the evening we basically have it to ourselves so it is a lot more fun.

waiting...waiting...waiting...

Introducing the newest pets at our house!: Pollywogs and frogs!

My girls love walking in the fields and finding these little "treasures", capturing them, and playing with them for a bit, then putting them back. They are slimy and gross, but my girls love them!

Overwhelmed with Gratitude...

2010-07-17T22:46:00.005-06:00

This is a really long post, but only because I take pictures of EVERYTHING. As I look at all my pictures from the last week, I am so grateful for my family. Yesterday, a young local family lost their only child (18 months old) who drowned in a canal just outside of Rexburg. She hung onto life for 6 days, and then yesterday her parents had to make the decision. I cannot imagine how hard this would be. I am overwhelmed with how blessed I am everyday. My blog is just a look into how much I treasure my kids, I value every minute I have with them, although there are definitely hard times, I cannot imagine life without any one of them. Here is another peak into another one of our crazy, but super fun summer weeks. But this post is posted with just a little more appreciation than the others. I am overwhelmed with gratitude right now, and instead of listing everything I am grateful for, I will just show you.

We had the opportunity on Saturday to visit my parent's cabin in Island Park for the day and play in the lake. Joel even took the day off to come (which is SO rare these days) and I am so glad he did. Here Keaton got is head stuck in the railing...I was going to help him, but just happened to have my camera, so I decided to snap a photo really quick...

My girls love jumping into the lake. Sadie runs from one edge of the dock to the water as fast as she can, Piper jumps from wherever into whatever, and Tes, has to have someone in the water to see when she very cautiously jumps. They are all so unique in EVERY WAY!

Grandpa's hot tub is one the perks of the cabin for the girls. What a great way to warm up from the freezing cold lake!

One of my many attempts at a group photo of the kids.

Joel showing his stuff. This was his first time out this year and he looked great. I wonder where Tess gets her tumbling talents and Pipers need for speed...

Piper is all about the front of the boat. I love how peaceful she looks here.

Sadie "striking a pose" to the ice cream freeze while waterskiing. How cute is that! She was also just chillin' singing the words like she was some pro or something. I love it.

Our little Handsome

Our friends the Kesler's were up in Island Park at a family reunion, so they came over for the afternoon and gave us all rides. This is their daughter Maycee in the middle. I was so proud of Tess. She was so nervous to go tubing and was finally talked into it!

Tess has a smile that shows true happiness. I love it.

My three sweet gals- they love boating!

The giant slip-n-slide!

Joel set up this giant tarp in the yard and ofcourse we had to call the town to come play. It was a giant slip-n-slide and the kids loved it! (that dead plant is super heavy, so we used it to weigh the plastic down) Hey, whatever works!

This is how the girls love to end a long day, with a huge bubble bath. Notice Keaton is M.I.A...I kept him occupied in a different bath tub because last time he was involved, although he had fun, I was cleaning up bubbles for hours :)

Horseback Riding!

Sadie takes horseback riding lessons, which she loves, but last week this horse stepped on her foot and left it looking like the picture below. Luckily my family is full of Podiatrists :) and my bro-in-law Dan just happened to be visiting, so he checked her out and determined she would be fine. It was definitely sore, though!

It actually looks worse in real life! But it's in the shape of a horse hoof!

And finally our beautiful Princess Piper who had a "Come to the Royal Ball Party". She looked so cute. Sadie did her make-up, Tess painted her nails, and I did her hair. Pretty good team if you ask me!

Parades, water parks, zoos, and sprinklers!

2010-07-09T15:51:00.006-06:00

Fourth of July parade!:

The Tauphaus Park Zoo!:

Ross Water Park!:

Running through sprinklers with clothes on!:

A few of my favorite "loves"

2010-07-02T22:43:00.005-06:00

Water skiing with Kesler's:

I love that Sadie tried waterskiing, although it took her a few attempts to get up, she did not give up ... she was even letting go with one hand by the end of her "round"...

I love that I have 3 cute daughters who love being outside and anything involved with water...

I love that we have good, fun, family friends who invite us to go boating (and other fun things- thanks Keslers and Sponny's!)

I love that I can say I have "surfed"- even if it's not in the ocean!

I love that all Sadie wanted for skiing (okay, I will admit I had to bribe her a little) was the biggest shave ice that they make...

RIGBY LAKE:

I love that Piper will eat a frosty in the sand just because she wants too.

I love that my sister and her kids spent a TON of time with us while she was visiting from Denver the last 2 weeks...

Loving that Keaton can be free and play in "dirt/sand" for hours with no cares or worries...

I love that this little lake is only 20 minutes from my house and it has SAND. Actual sand and not just mud like at my house...

I love that Sadie and Tess both swam out to this dock and slid down the slide without me or Joel needing to be there to catch them. When did they grow up?

It's been a great summer so far and we have loved every minute of it!

My Grandpa Grant's 90th b-day bash!

2010-06-27T22:56:00.003-06:00

On Saturday we drove to Boise (and came home that night) for my Grandpa Grant's 90th birthday party at my Uncle's house. It was a fun day of playing in the pool and seeing lots of relatives I never get to see. We had a great time and our kids were so wiped out they slept on the ride home and crawled right into bed. It was the most time I've spent with Joel in the last 3 months driving for 10 hours. Even though it was driving, I think we talked almost the entire ride there and back. It was a great day!

Also, it was Joel's Grandpa Yorgesen's 92nd birthday on Sunday. Both our grandfathers live on their own and are in overall pretty good health. We hope we inherited some of their longevity!

Summer is finally here!

2010-06-23T22:41:00.007-06:00

A lot has been going on in our neck of the woods lately: be aware of picture overload!

My sister and her kids are here for a couple of weeks and this is what Cole and Piper did the first day they saw each other. They are both 4 and so cute together.

Our Momma cat "Sparkles" with her kitties (who are ready to give away by fourth of July FYI if anyone is interested!)

Keaton fell asleep on the couch after a hard day of playing outside with no nap and each of the girls took turns holding him. It's something they miss. :)

Piper smashed her hand in this rotating belt in a swing my Grandma has at her house and luckily only cut and bruised it. It probably could have cut an adult's hand right off. She was so lucky and I was so scared. The girls made her these cards and wanted to take pics of them holding them with her. I took a picture of her hand, but it didn't turn out very well. It looked a lot worse when she first did it.

The first lemonade/cookie stand of the year. When you live out in the middle of nowhere, you gotta expect not to get a lot of business...well leave it up to Joel and Grandpa Kelly to stop by and Joel called all our neighboring farmer friends to tell them to stop by, too. They made over $3 and thought they were the bees knees that day.

As soon as the weather topped 75* we pulled this baby out and it hasn't been put away since. It had a few mice bite marks in it, but nothing a little Gorilla tape couldn't fix!

I love this picture...unfortunately the hugs are too far and inbetween for these two these days.

Piper, oh our dear, sweet sassy Piper.

Bubbles are an obsession with Keaton these days, they are even more than obsession if there is such a thing. I found this bubble machine at Walgreen's the other day and I swear it is the best $10 I ever spent. He is SO happy to play with it constantly.

I have petunias in my windowboxes this year and they are so beautiful. I am loving them!

some action shots

Another perk to living on the farm: giant sprinklers to run through! (Ignore the serious weeding that needs to be done in the rocks...I have a serious case of the lazies when it comes to weeding those things!)

* All Keaton needs...*

2010-06-09T21:49:00.003-06:00

A ball, his absolutely-can't-live-without blankie, and his "pop" (known to most as a balloon). I'll give you one guess why he refers to them as "pops"...

I heart NY!

2010-06-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

My little brother Shawn got a medical residency program in upstate New York, so, sadly they left us for the long drive there this week. Now I have 2 HUGE reasons to go visit New York! (Joel's parents are in NYC). We will miss you guys!

Performing at the Playmill!

2010-06-09T21:35:00.002-06:00

The singing group Sadie belongs to "TaVaci" was able to open for the Playmill theatre last Monday. It was quite a treat. My mom and I took Sadie and Tess and we saw Beauty and the Beast. Sadie had so much fun being an "opening act". Around here, the Playmill in West Yellowstone is kind of a big deal :)

T-ball and Teeth...

2010-06-03T20:14:00.002-06:00

Both Sadie and Tess had to get teeth pulled from the dentist the other day. My kids have stubborn teeth and don't really like to come out on their own. The permanent teeth were already coming in on top of them, so we had to get the baby ones out. Tess also had to get her gum above her top two teeth clipped, and now has one stitch. She thinks that is pretty cool.

Tess did loose the first top tooth on her own and if you look closely you will notice one is a bit BIGGER and YELLOW. That would be a piece of corn she stuck there in place of a tooth one night at dinner. She looked so funny and she thought so, too.

We are now in the full swing of t-ball season here...you know it's that time of year because it is always cold, rainy and windy when they do city rec. baseball here. Tess loves it, though and will be old enough to play real coach pitch softball next year.

A party and a bunny!

2010-05-31T08:21:00.003-06:00

The last day of school Tess got to ride the bus with Sadie so she could go meet her new teacher. They were SO excited to finally get to ride together in the morning. I hope the excitement stays all through next year!

We had an all girl, all out last day of school party at our house Thursday night. We played minute to win it games and had pizza. It was a lot of fun. There were 25 girls in all!

We were planting the garden (hence Joel in the background) and the girls found this lost baby bunny. They wanted to keep it, but since we have new baby kitties, we wouldn't let them. They played with it for a while and then had to let it go. Keaton really wanted to hold it for the picture. :)

End of the year programs!

2010-05-27T08:28:00.002-06:00

Sadie had an end of the year "year in review" program and these are two of her best friends from school, Gabby and Issy Carter. They sang and read stories and had a picture slide show at the end. It was really fun for her.

And the big moment she has been waiting for all school year. GRADUATION from Kindergarten!! They put on a cute program and Tess is shaking the principal's hand. We are proud of you TESS!!!

Meet the kitties!

2010-05-24T21:31:00.002-06:00

Solid Gray: "Munchkin"

Gray and White: "Bootsie"

Siamese: "Casper"

other Siamese: "Snowflake"

Black: "Wicked"

Thoughtfully named by Sadie, Tess and Piper :)

the beginning of the ends...

2010-05-20T09:42:00.004-06:00

Tess at Bear World on her Kindergarten Field Trip:

(there is a little bear cub right above her head) It was luckily the prettiest day of the week and all the bears were out. We got to eat lunch together and it was perfect.

Sadie at her TavaCi concert:

She knew all the moves and songs just like she was suppose to. I was so proud of her.

Sadie at her piano recital:

She had both pieces memorized and did a fabulous job playing them. From the minute we walked in and she saw the trophy she knew that all her hard work was worth it! (I am remembering how important trophies of any kind are to kids at this age...)

Keaton loves these pink sparkly shoes:

They belong to a minnie mouse outfit Piper gor from Disneyland and he LOVES wearing them (luckily only around the house for now, but if he wants to wear them in public he will rock them like nobody's business)

Keaton dancing to Justin Bieber (his new favorite):

Sadie and Tess made a dance up to the song and Keaton actually does do the movements. It is SO funny. It's amazing how much he pays attention and then remembers...About the beaded hair things on his wrists...he likes the way the beads sound when he moves his arms, so anytime he wants to dance he runs to the bathroom to get his "bracelets". He also threw in a head band for us this time, too. Sometimes it's a bright pink straw hat.

Kitty, Anyone?

2010-05-12T21:06:00.002-06:00

Yep, this sweet little thing who was born only a year ago just had 5 kitties of her own. My kids are all so excited. Free kitty giveaway at the Ashton residence in about 6 weeks...

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T14:39:00.002-06:00

We love our moms! :)

'Tis the season!

2010-05-02T21:12:00.003-06:00

Even though I did want the snow to melt, with that comes all the farm work, which means we no longer have Joel around, so I guess riding in the tractor will have to make do for now! :)

Keaton has been afraid to ride in the "vroom vroom" and /or "tracker" until just this weekend. I kind of forced him on it on Saturday and now he has decided he doesn't mind it so much.

I love the view from my kitchen!

And here are the true blue farmer's daughters with straw hats, boots and all. Piper has decided this year that she LOVES riding with her dad. The other day she rode with him for 4 hours and still didn't want to come home. Throughout the season they all take turns eating lunch with him and getting out once in a while to play in the dirt. They think their dad has the greatest job ever!

Piper's theory on service...

2010-04-26T20:59:00.002-06:00

This sweet adorable baby is my Piper...

Tonight I asked the kids what they did for somebody else today...

This darling one said she was nice to Jesus because if not...

he will put her on Santa's naughty list.

Is that how that works?

End of the year recital!

2010-04-22T21:52:00.003-06:00

Tonight was our final dance performance of the year. Let's just say I had a mini meltdown when my CD that I have used all year decided not to work in the CD player...Joel ran home to see if he could find my extra copy but couldn't, so after delaying the recital 15 minutes Joel came back with my really old tiny CD player that we put the mic up to and it ended up working out just great. Thankfully. It was so nice to finish up the season with so many great performances (best of the year) and all my moms SPOILED me rotten with 5 different gift certificates to all my favorite places and flowers and chocolates. I really felt like Miss America. For all my dance moms who read this blog: THANK YOU!!!

Bridgett and I with our little dancers! Thanks again Bridgett! I couldn't do this without you! :)

Oh, they are so cute to me! (with the flowers their Dad gave to all of us!)

I love Keaton's facial expression. Oh yes my son... get used to it. This is just the beginning of your "watching many dance performances" career.

Introducing...

2010-04-19T21:14:00.004-06:00

Olyvia Jeanne Summers

Born: Monday April 19th

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Weight: 7 lbs. 7 oz.

Status: Perfect

Proud parents: My little Brother Shawn and his wife Megan

She joins super cute siblings: Sam and Jack

Congratulations- we love you guys!

The weather was PERFECT today...

2010-04-19T21:07:00.003-06:00

Seriously it was. No wind, no chill, no clouds. A perfect spring day...the grass is still brown and there are no flowers, but the temperature was the best it's been since last September. What a great day to be outside.

The verdict is in...

2010-04-18T21:21:00.003-06:00

Our poor Tess has had to live with what we thought had been exczema since she was 3. After multiple dermatologist visits, many different ointments, creams, and syrups, "home"remedies, a witch doctor, and such things as bathing in salt and/or bleach and now the infamous patch test...we've come to determine that she is allergic to NICKEL (and a few other things I can't pronounce). Basically, nickel and the other things are in SO many objects that it will be impossible for her to completely escape from it (we are talking zippers, pants buckles, door knobs, etc.) but the main culprit behind all the reactions is ALL HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS. We are talking EVERYTHING you could possibly clean with (detergents and dish soap included). The ONLY thing safe for me to use to clean is water and vinegar.(All free and Clear for our clothes, and the dishes will just all have to be thoroughly rinsed in the dishwasher) So the next time you come to my house and it smells like we are dying Easter eggs YEAR ROUND you will know why. Poor thing. I already think her skin is doing better, though, thankfully! :)

The patch test:

12 years ago today...

2010-04-13T16:11:00.001-06:00

12 years ago Joel proposed to me.

Best decision I ever made.

2010-04-13T15:55:00.003-06:00

This is what it looked like when Tess got on the bus today. Yesterday they were playing outside with no coats on. Welcome to Southeast Idaho. :)

We all knew this day was coming and I thought, why not document it?

He wanted to be a dog who plays football apparently...

The many faces of Keaton

2010-04-09T22:04:00.004-06:00

NOT the best sitter for a good picture.

He likes watching the flash flip up....

I think this is his way of telling me what he thinks of taking pictures...

Part of an "arm dance" he is into lately.

Quit moving!!!

Please look and smile?!!!

Okay, this one is good. :)...finally

Mom, come see what I taught Piper to do....

2010-04-05T10:18:00.004-06:00

Sadie really taught Piper how to ride without training wheels. Now Piper is riding all over the place and going pretty fast, too. All I know is it is a good thing we have padded walls in the gym!

Good job girls! :)

Easter Morning!

2010-04-05T10:11:00.002-06:00

Getting ready to go search (indoors of course since we had a blizzard the day before) for all the eggs!

Just had to post this to show this common scene at our house...Keaton loves watching the girls play on their DSI's. :)

The dying of the eggs!

2010-04-03T13:38:00.003-06:00

What would Easter be without dying eggs? P-A-R-T-Y at the Ashton's house!!!

All the grandkids on the Summers side in birth order. The picture will be obsolete in about two weeks when Shawn's new little baby girl will be born. :)

COUSINS!!!!

2010-03-31T12:40:00.002-06:00

This week has been so much fun. Last Friday my sister and her family drove in from Denver and we are watching their kids while they are on vacation. On Monday, Joel's brother Scott came into town with his family and we have been playing with them. I borrowed a bubble machine from a lady in my ward (who bought it just for the nursery...it's awesome!) And the kids have been having a blast playing in the gym with bubbles and all.

The "Bounce House"

2010-03-22T21:57:00.004-06:00

To "celebrate" Keaton and Piper's birthday we took some friends and (Sam and Jack) to the local "bounce house" where the kids played and ran and cried and ate lots of sugar and bounced and jumped and later needed to be disinfected. :) The kids all had a lot of fun...maybe it will be something to do yearly?...

Keaton didn't enjoy the bouncing too much...he just stuck to the balloons.

As a side note, Happy Birthday to my BFF Bridgett who is truly, to me, what a friend should be. I hope she has a great day!

She came into our lives four years ago...

2010-03-18T21:35:00.003-06:00

Four years ago this cute little baby came into our lives 8 days over her due date and still refusing to enter into this world. We knew right then that we were dealing with a stubborn one, little did we know she was going to be so cute. :)

We love you Piper and hope you had a great day!

happy hands at home!

2010-03-14T21:51:00.002-06:00

I usually do not post things I make, oh wait a minute, that's because I usually don't make things! But I did actually attempt to make these plain t-shirts a bit cuter with these homemade "broches?" I don't know but I think they do add a bit to the otherwise plain shirts. SUPER easy and actually fun to make...maybe I will start selling them. JUST KIDDING I did not enjoy making something THAT much! :)

Keaton;s 2!

2010-03-12T08:20:00.003-07:00

Happy 2nd birthday to our favorite son and brother! :)

Ashton & Co.

Christmas and New Years...

Our Holiday in Maui...

Tess gets baptized!!!

Halloween!

PUmpkin Carving!

Tess turns 8!!!!

Lots of catching up to do...

Swimming, harvest, ladybugs...and Keaton's in preschool!

First day of school and the end of fair!

Sadie's day at the fair!!

Summers Family get together!

Priest Lake 2011

A last minute day trip to Cherry Hill...

Sadie's surprise party and pig!

Our Sadie is 10!!!

Our favorite fishing hole.

The Great PIG chase among other things...

TIMBER!

Piano, Gymnastics and A Flying Cowboy on a Bike

A play, A dunk, and A concert

Wow. Could Tess be more disappointed?

Dance recital 2011

FREE ZUMBA NIGHT!!!

Ever tried piggin'?

Summers family pics!

Some of our Family Pictures we took back in October:

You are cute...

Birthday week!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but I am a Tsunami survivor!!!

Cruisin' with the Kids...!

*Sledding at Priest Lake*

Our December...

Our week in the concrete jungle!!!

Halloween!

Carving pumpkins and no more Sparkles...

It's Tea Party and Straw Maze time!

Tess is 7 and I hiked!

Tess the lunchroom bandit...

Just goofin' around!

Sparkles the ho :)

It's over!

*Cheer Clinic and Cuteness*

The Tauphus Park (park)!

First day of School 2010!

Lagoon and Sadie's party!

Our favorite fishin' hole!

Sadie's 9th b-day, Priest lake, and 12 years!

*Tents, Frogs, Splash parks, and Pollywogs!*

Overwhelmed with Gratitude...

Parades, water parks, zoos, and sprinklers!

A few of my favorite "loves"

My Grandpa Grant's 90th b-day bash!

Summer is finally here!

* All Keaton needs...*

*I heart NY!*

*Performing at the Playmill!*

*T-ball and Teeth...*

*A party and a bunny!*

*End of the year programs!*

*Meet the kitties!*

*the beginning of the ends...*

*Kitty, Anyone?*

Happy Mother's Day!

'Tis the season!

Piper's theory on service...

*End of the year recital!*

Introducing...

*The weather was PERFECT today...*

*The verdict is in...*

12 years ago today...

*The many faces of Keaton*

*Mom, come see what I taught Piper to do....*

*Easter Morning!*

*The dying of the eggs!*

COUSINS!!!!

*The "Bounce House"*

*She came into our lives four years ago...*

*happy hands at home! *

*Keaton;s 2!*

Sledding at Priest Lake

Cheer Clinic and Cuteness

Tents, Frogs, Splash parks, and Pollywogs!

I heart NY!

Performing at the Playmill!

T-ball and Teeth...

A party and a bunny!

End of the year programs!

Meet the kitties!

the beginning of the ends...

Kitty, Anyone?

End of the year recital!

The weather was PERFECT today...

The verdict is in...

The many faces of Keaton

Mom, come see what I taught Piper to do....

Easter Morning!

The dying of the eggs!

The "Bounce House"

She came into our lives four years ago...

happy hands at home!

Keaton;s 2!